House Aid Package Cuts Iraq, Afghan Funds

The House voted Friday to spend $21.3 billion on foreign aid but cut money President Bush wanted for Iraq, Afghanistan and a program that rewards countries moving toward democracy and good government. Rep. Jim Kolbe, an Arizona Republican and chairman of the foreign aid spending subcommittee, said he had to slice $2.4 billion from the president's request to free money for pressing needs at home.

``I am proud of this bill, but I can also honestly say it has probably been the most difficult one I have put together,'' he said. The Bush administration said it has serious concerns that lawmakers did not provide enough money to meet its foreign policy and humanitarian goals. These funds come on top of $4 billion in emergency foreign assistance that lawmakers agreed this week to include in a package for war and disaster needs. It includes $1.6 billion for projects to stabilize and promote local government in Iraq.

Assistance for Iraq and Afghanistan included in the bill that the House passed Friday, with a 373-34 vote, exceeded last year's spending but still is less than the amount Bush wanted. Iraq received $522 million for programs supporting stabilization. Afghanistan won $962 million to support drug eradication, along with programs for building the country's government and economy. Lawmakers withheld $286 million marked for economic support for Afghanistan until the government takes stronger measures to fight drug production and trafficking. The Bush administration said the cuts hamper critical programs necessary to help the newly elected governments in Iraq and Afghanistan, a cause vital to tamping down global terrorism.


The House voted, 312-97, to strip Saudi Arabia of $420,000 that lawmakers had included in the bill, most of it to train Saudi officials in techniques for finding terrorists and detecting terrorist attacks. ``American taxpayer dollars should not be supporting Saudi hate and terror,'' said Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., who pushed to strip the funds. ``Why should we provide aid to a country that has systematically exported terrorism? Kolbe said the vote would only set back efforts to help the Saudi Arabian government root out terrorists in that nation. ``For heaven sakes, is this not something we want to do?'' he said. ``This is about the war on terror.'' The Millennium Challenge Corporation, an administration priority that rewards countries for taking steps toward democracy and open government, got $2 billion instead of the $3 billion the administration requested. The cut allowed the committee to devote more money to international programs that fight disease, including AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

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